Great coaches are excellent at spotting mistakes. The best coaches are just as intentional about recognizing what athletes are doing right.
When I coach a CrossFit class, I start with five paperclips in my right pocket. My goal is to move all five to my left pocket before class ends. Each one represents a moment where I caught an athlete doing something right and told them specifically what and why.
That small habit is a reminder of something every coach should internalize: athletes want to be seen.
The Feedback Coaches Often Skip
Coaches are wired to correct. “Chest up.” “Drive your knees out.” “Slow down.” Correction is necessary, but when it’s the only feedback athletes hear, it can feel like they’re constantly doing something wrong.
Positive feedback works when it’s specific and immediate. Use the Behavior + Effect approach.
- Behavior: What exactly did the athlete do?
- Effect: Why did it matter?
Instead of “Nice job,” try, “Your elbows stayed high on those cleans in the last round, the bar moved faster, and you didn’t have to muscle it up.”
Now the athlete knows exactly what worked. And they’ll repeat it.
Try This in Your Next Class
CrossFit classes move fast, and it’s easy to spend the whole hour fixing problems. But great coaching also means reinforcing what’s going right, such as consistent pacing, patient setups, athletes encouraging each other, and beginners improving their range of motion.
Bring five paperclips tomorrow. Every time you give specific positive feedback, move one. Use Behavior + Effect each time:
“Your pacing stayed consistent all four rounds, and that’s why your last round looked just as strong as your first.”
“You stayed patient with your setup before every deadlift, and that’s why your bar path stayed tight.”
If you struggle to find five moments, they were probably there; you just weren’t looking closely enough.
Start looking and say something when you see it.
Alan Bennett is a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer with nine years of coaching experience. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) and Focal Point Business Coach, he brings expertise in behavioral communication through certifications in DISC, Driving Forces, and Emotional Intelligence assessment tools. His coaching philosophy centers on meeting athletes where they are and adapting communication to unlock each individual’s potential. You can find him at